Snow-plow.



L. E. GRABAU. I

' suow PLOW. APPLICATION FILED APR. I. I915.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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SNOW PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. I918.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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KW. \I n E T L. E. GRABAU.

SNOW PLOW. APPLICATION HLEQ APR. 1. 1918.

1,274,708. Patented Aug. 6, 1913.

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snow PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19KB.

Patented Aug. 6, 191$ 4 SHEETS$HEET 4 attozneu LAWRENCE E. GRAIBAU, F BONAIR, IOWA.

- SNOW-PLOW.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. e, 1918.

Application filed April 1 1918. Serial No. 226,004.

1 To all whom. it may concern: 1

- pur ose of removing snow and ice from Be it known that I, Lawrence E. GRABAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bonair, in the county of Howard and State of Iowa, have inventjedcertain new and useful Iinprovementsin Snow-Flows, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to snow plows andhas for its primary object to provide a snow plow of the rotary type which is applicable to the ordinary motor driven truck, for the snow and ice within the respective casings tosaid plows.

It is still another object of the invention to provide adjustable means for effectively loosening, packed .snow or ice close to the road surface.

And it is a further general objectof my invention to provide a snow plow as abovecharacterized which is relatively simple in its construction, may be manufactured at a small cost, and can be easily applied to or removed from the ordinary motor driven truck.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved'combination, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompany- ,ing. drawings wherein similar reference I characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: Figur,e 1 .is a side elevation of a snow plow 3'1 'iistructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. ;is a top plan view,a portion of one of th'e plow casings being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a, front end elevation; Fig. 4 isa section through one plow taken onthe line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 .is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a of the plow fans; and

Fig; is a rear end elevation showing the plow gearing in inoperative position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the'chassis or frame of a motor vehicle truck, which is provided at its forward end with the usual engine for the propulsion of the vehicle and the customary steering mechanism.

Fixed to the forward end of the frame 5 and extending beyond the opposite sides of said frame a transverse beam 6 is suitably secured. A pair of plow casings or housings 7 are mounted upon the front side of this beam and are provided with tangentially disposed rearwardly opening outlet necks or extensions .8 which project beyond'the opposite sides of the machine. Each of the casings 7 at, the lower side thereofhas an opening 9 inits front wall, and to the annular body walls of these casings at the lower side thereof and in line with the longitudinal center of the machine, a forwardly projecting wedge-shaped spur 10 is secured.

In suitable bearings 11 onthe beam 6 the shafts 12 are rotatably mounted, said shafts extending through the respective casings 7' at their axial centers. Within each casing 7, arotary plow 13 is fixed upon the shafts.

12. Each of these plows consists of a plurality of radially extending transversely curved blades 14, and these blades at their rear edges are securely fixed or integrally detail perspective view of one i formed with a circular disk or plate 15, the

perimeter of which is coincident with the outer end edges of the plow blades. These disks serve a very useful purpose in the op eration of the plow. First they reinforce and strengthen the blades of the plow, preventing their relative distortion from normal position, secondly, they prevent the leakage of air and snow between the rear edges of the blades and the rear walls of the casings 7, thereby also reducing friction which would otherwise result by the' snow coming in contact with the housing'wall,

third, to prevent sticking or clogging of the snow and fully utilize the centrifugal force of the rotating propeller, and fourth, to increase the capacity of the individual plows when operated under a predetermined driving power, I

To the extreme forward ends of the shafts 12 which project some distance in advanceof the plow casings 7, the snow breaking 17 1s fixed upon each sha 4 1o or cutting propellers 16 are fixed, said advance propellers having relativel short blades, any desired number of WhlCh may be provided. Rearwardly of these front propellers, a second set of Propeller blades t 12, the latter propeller blades being of appreciably greaterlength, and substantially equal to the length of the plow blades 14. The blades 17 are disposed intermediate of, or in staggered relation to, the front blades 16. It will thus be seen that in the forward movement of the machine, the advance cutting or breaking propellers 16 first enter the snow and break up. or loosen the same, and then the longer blades 17 operate to direct the loosened snow rearwardly and through the openings 9 in the front walls of the casings 7 into said casings and against the disks 15 of the respective plows. In the rotation of these plows in relatively opposite directions, the blades thereof discharge the snow with considerable force through the tangentially extendingoutletnecks 8 on the casings, from which the snow is directed to the opposite sides-of the road or highway and out of the line of traflic.

The mass. of snow which is forced rearwardly by the blades 17 is supported and directed through the openings 9 of the plow casings by means of a supporting and directing plate or scoop 18 which extends transversely at the lower sides of the casings and in advance thereof and is pivotally mounted as at 20 upon the forward ends of the longitudinally extending supporting bars 19 i which are suitablyattached or secured at their rear ends to the front axle of the evehicle. Thesesupporting bars are braced by means of the inclined hangers 21 depending frern the beam 6, the lower ends of sai hangers being secured to the forward ends of thesupporting bars. The directing plate 18 at its forward edge istoothed as shown at 22 so as to cut into and break up packed snow or ice adjacent the surface of the road bed. Inwardly and rearwardly inclined bafiie plates 23 are fixed to the upper surface of the plate 18 adjacent each end thereof andserve to deflect the snow inwardly through the openings of the plow casings; .-The forwardly. projecting wedge-shaped spur 10 located at the center of the plate 18 and between the open sides of the casings 7, effects a division of the snow as it Is forced rearwardly from the plate 18 by the propellers 17 so that the snow is delivered substantially in uniform quantity into the. respective plow casings.

I have also provided means for adjusting the plate 18 so as to dispose its forward toothed edge 22 as close to the road surface as may be practicable. Totlus end, a rock ably mounted. This beam 6 in bearings 25 and is provided upon each of its ends with a forwardly extending arm 26. Rods 27 connect the respective arms 26 to the relatively opposite ends of the plate 1 8. The shaft-24 is actuated by means of a "lever 28 mounted u on the vehicle frame-convenient to the rivers seat and having rant 29. A forwardly extending rod 30 is connected .to the lever 28, the forward end shaft 24 is mounted at rear side of the the usual locking dog for engagement with the teeth of a rack or quad of said rod being pivotally connected to an upstanding arm 31 fixed upon the shaft 24. In order to limit the downward swinging ward edge may not be disposed too close to the road surface, I provide the rods 32 which: are pivotally connected at their forward ends to vertically disposed cutter blades 33 fixed upon the plate 18 at its opposite ends Y outwardly of the baflle plates 23. Therods' 32 at their rear ends extend through slots 35 in the bracket plates 34 which are fixed to the beam 6. These rear ends of the rods movement of the plate 18 so that its forare threaded to receive the adjustable nuts 36. These nuts act as stops, and it will be separate means other than the vehicle motor for driving the rotary plows. mefins Iwill now, proceed to describe in detai e Upon the rear end of the machine frame or chassls, an engine indicated at 37 and which may be of any preferred type is suitconnected to a crank shaft 38 upon each end of which-a fly wheel 39 is fixed. Each of the This driving engine is operatively I .fly wheels is provided upon its outerface with a beveled or mitered friction wheel 40. v

The plow shafts 12 at their rear ends are mounted in bearings 41 fixed upon the upper ends of the yieldable standards or supports 42. The shafts 12 in spaced relation to the standards 42 are each provided with a universal joint indicated at 12'. These standar'ds are fixed at their lower ends to the longitudinal sidebars of the vehicle frame and are preferably in the form of heavy spring metal bars capable of a transverse yieldlng movement, To the shaft bearings 41 on the upper ends of said standards,=rods 43 are pivotally connected attheir outer' ends. A lever 44 is fulcrumed as at 45adjacent to one ofits ends andcto this lever at opposite sides ofits fulcrum, the inner ends of the rods 43 are respectively pivoted as shown at 46. The lever 44 carries a lug 01?? dog for locking engagement with the teeth of a quadrant 47. To the rear end of each- While I have specifically described a particular means for transmitting power from the engine 37 to the rotary plows, it will ofcourse .be readily appreciated that various other means might be devised for this purpose.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying, drawing, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my improved motor snow plow will be fully understood. The rotary plows and the associated parts can be readily applied to the ordinary motor .vehicle'truck without necessitating any material structural alterations therein. By

.means of my improved plow attachment,

heavy banks of snow which would ordinarily close the road to traflic, may be removed and disposed of in a very expeditious manner. By the provision of the adjustable plate 18, hard packed snow or ice may be broken up close to the. road surface and removed. By providing the advance sets of cutting or breakin propellers and constructing and arranglng the rotary plows Within the housings or casings in the manner above explained, the possibility of the breakage of the blades or other parts of the mechanism when extraordinary heavy duty devolves thereon, is reduced to a minimum. At the same time, it is to be noted-that the various parts of the device'are of relatively simple form so that the invention as a whole may be produced at comparatively small manufacturing cost.-

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form, construction and relative arrangement of the various elements, it is to be understood that the device is susceptible of many modifications therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention'as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a motor vehicle, of a plow casin and means for mounting .the same upon t e forward end of the vehicle frame, said casing having an opening in its front wall, a rotary plowmounted in said casing, a snow supporting and directing plate pivoted at the lower edge of the plow casing for vertical swinging movement, means for adjusting said plate to vary the inclination thereof, rods to support the plate and limit its downward swinging movement, guides for said rods on the vehicle frame, said casing having an openingin its front wall, a rotary plow mounted in said casing, a snow supporting and directing'plate pivoted at the lower edge of the plow casing for vertical swinging movement, means for adjusting said plate to vary the inclination thereof, obliquely inclined bafiie members fixed upon the upper-surface of -said plate, vertical cutter blades on the plate, rods pivoted at one of their ends to said cutter blades, guides for said IOds on the vehicle frame, and adjustable stops on the rods to coact with said gui and position the forward edge of the plate at a prefietermined elevation above the road SIB ace.

3. The combination with a motor vehicle, of apa'ir of plow casings and means for mounting the same upon theforward end of the motor vehicle frame, a rotary plow mounted in each of said casin s, each casing having an opening in its ront wall, a transversely disposed plate extending forwardly from the lower edges of the plow casings, obliquely inclined bafile plates fixed upon said transverse plate at the opposite ends thereof to direct the snow inwardly through the openings in the respective cas- .ings, and a central forwardly projecting 7 having an opening in its front wall, a transversely d sposed plate extending forwardly from the lower edges of the plow casings,

obliquely .inclined bafile plates fixed upon said transverse plate at the opposite ends thereof to direct the snow inwardly through the openings in the respective casings, a central' forwardly projecting spur fixed to the casing walls to direct the snow into the respective casings, and vertically disposed cutters fixed upon said transverse plate out-' wardly of the respective bafile plates.

5. The combination with a motor vehicle, of rotary snow plows and means for mountmg said plows upon the forward end of the vehicle frame, each. plow having a rearwardly extending shaft, yielda-ble supporting standards for the rear ends of said shafts, an englne mounted upon the rear 5 end of the vehicle frame, means for trans- 10 connected to said supporting standards to N ur e the same from their normal positions an disengage the driven elements from the driving elements.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. 15

LAWRENCE E'. GRABAU.

Witnesses: I 1 v MARY WADE, v WILL OWENS. 

